Feds contract GM Canada to provide 10 million face masks
by CM Staff
Production of the masks at the Oshawa plant will begin immediately
On May 26, the federal government of Canada contracted General Motors of Canada to provide 10 million face masks at cost to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Production will begin immediately. PHOTO: Jessica Hayes/GM Canada
OSHAWA, Ont. — On May 26, the federal government contracted General Motors of Canada to provide 10 million face masks over the next year with production to begin immediately.
GM Canada will manufacture the face masks at cost at its Oshawa plant for the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The automaker received its Medical Device Establishment License on April 22 and since then, it built and installed the mask making machinery, built a clean room with enhanced safety protocols, sourced materials with help from GM’s global supply chain, and recalled and trained 60 workers for two shifts of production in Oshawa in partnership with Unifor.
GM Canada says it has implemented a series of safety measures to protect team members through pre-entry health screening, physical distancing and enhanced on-site cleaning.
Related: GM Canada joins fight against COVID-19 with mask production in Oshawa
